The invention relates to a manually actuated functional hose instrument with a hose-shaped functional part and with a wire-shaped functional part extending in the latter, wherein the two functional parts are axially movable relative to each other in order to perform a useful function at a distal section remote from a proximal end section, and the invention also relates to an associated operating device. The operating device has a first operating part, which is connected to the proximal end section of the wire-shaped functional part and has an operating head at the proximal end of the wire-shaped functional part, and a second operating part, which is connected to the proximal end section of the hose-shaped functional part and has an operating area lying at an axial distance in front of the operating head.
In the present context, a hose-shaped functional part is to be understood generally as any elongate hose or tube structure that has a hollow channel for the passage of the wire-shaped functional part. In the present context, a wire-shaped functional part is to be understood as any elongate component that is received in the hollow channel of the hose-shaped part so as to be axially movable relative thereto and that is made of a solid or hollow metal or plastic material.
Manually actuated functional hose instruments of this kind are customary, for example, in the field of endoscopic medicine, especially in the form of stone-catching basket instruments with a deployable wire basket for collecting stones or the like in tissue spaces, and similar instruments such as wire filter instruments, wire loop instruments and collecting net instruments. In these known uses, a deployable element such as the wire basket, a wire filter, a wire loop or a collecting net is typically arranged at the distal end of the wire-shaped functional part, and, by moving the wire-shaped functional part axially back and forth relative to the hose-shaped functional part surrounding it, this element is collapsed and drawn into the distal end of the hose-shaped functional part or is moved out of the latter and deployed.
A similar use concerns guide wire units for catheter instruments, where the wire-shaped functional part is a so-called tension wire, and the hose-shaped functional part is a hose surrounding the latter, which hose is connected to the tension wire in the distal area. By axial relative movement of tension wire and hose, a distal section of the guide wire unit can be deformed in a desired manner, e.g. bent, or a slotted distal section of the hose-shaped functional part can be axially shortened and in this way opened out like a wire basket.
Laid-open specification US 2005/0113862 A1 discloses a guide wire unit of this kind, in which the hose has, in the proximal end section, an area that is elastically compressible in the axial direction by means of a slit, and which guide wire unit has, in its proximal end section, an operating device. The latter comprises a first operating part, which acts with an operating head on the proximal end of the tension wire, and a second operating part, which is connected to the hose in front of the elastic area thereof. The second operating part has a grip sleeve with a screw clamp, by means of which it can be clamped firmly on the hose. The operating head has a blind bore, into which the proximal end of the wire-shaped functional part, with the proximal end of the hose surrounding the latter, is placed to the rear of the elastic area. A guide sleeve, formed integrally on the operating head and protruding axially in the distal direction, surrounds the proximal end section of wire-shaped functional part and hose-shaped functional part and is guided telescopically and axially movably in the grip sleeve.
It is an object of the invention to provide a manually actuated functional hose instrument of the type mentioned at the outset, which permits comparatively simple, ergonomic and reliable operation by one hand, and an operating device suitable therefor.
The invention achieves this object by providing an operating device which comprises a first operating part, which is connected to the proximal end section of the wire-shaped functional part and has an operating head at the proximal end of the wire-shaped functional part and a second operating part, which is connected to the proximal end section of the hose-shaped functional part and has an operating area lying at an axial distance in front of the operating head. According to a first aspect of the invention, a fixing part is further provided which serves for the external fixing of the operating device and to which the second operating part is coupled in a mutually axially movable manner. According to another aspect of the invention, the second operating part is connected non-releasably to the proximal end section of the hose-shaped functional part and has an operating ring with a circumferential finger recess as an operating area. The invention further provides a manually actuated functional hose instrument equipped with an operating device according to the invention.
The operating device according to the invention thus comprises a fixing part, to which the second operating part is coupled in an axially movable manner, and/or an operating ring with circumferential finger recess as second operating part, which is connected non-releasably to the hose-shaped functional part. Both measures, individually or in combination, ensure that the functional hose instrument can be operated comfortably and reliably, particularly using one hand, with the operating head being actuated by the thumb of one hand and the operating ring being held between two fingers, e.g. between index finger and middle finger, or between middle finger and ring finger, the fingers in question being placed in the finger recess of the operating ring. The finger recess serves as operating area and prevents the operating ring from accidentally slipping through the space between the two fingers holding it. The non-releasable connection, e.g. a bonded or welded connection, holds the operating ring securely on the hose-shaped functional part, without adversely affecting the axial mobility of the wire-shaped functional part in the hose-shaped functional part. The desired axial relative movement between wire-shaped functional part and hose-shaped functional part can be achieved very easily by actuation of the operating head using a thumb.
The fixing part allows the operating device to be fixed to an external component, e.g. to an endoscope in the case of a corresponding medical endoscopy instrument. The second operating part can be moved axially relative to the fixing part, e.g. by corresponding actuation of the operating ring. Thus, for example in the case of a medical functional hose instrument, such as a stone-catching basket instrument or the like, inserted into an endoscope channel, the hose-shaped functional part, and possibly also the wire-shaped functional part in synchrony therewith, can be moved axially back or forth in the endoscope channel.
In a development of the invention, the first operating part is connected to the wire-shaped functional part for rotation therewith and is movable in rotation with respect to the second operating part. This measure makes it possible to rotate the wire-shaped functional part relative to the hose-shaped functional part, preferably freely in rotation without any limit on the rotation angle, by turning the first operating part correspondingly relative to the second operating part and, therefore, to the hose-shaped functional part connected non-releasably to the latter. This can also still be done by one-handed operation. Alternatively, the user can use his other hand for this purpose.
In a development of the invention, the first operating part is guided telescopically on the second operating part by means of guide sleeves that are suitably guided one inside the other. This permits an advantageous and reliable actuation of the two operating parts relative to each other, in order to obtain the desired axial relative movement of the two functional parts. In another embodiment, a helical spring is provided, which acts in the axial direction between the two operating parts and which surrounds the proximal end section both of the wire-shaped functional part and also of the hose-shaped functional part and bears at one end on the operating head and at the other end on the guide sleeve of the second operating part. Thus, in a manner that is advantageous in terms of design and function, the two functional parts can be pretensioned by pressure or tension into an end position of their axial relative mobility, for example, in the case of a medical stone-catching basket instrument, into a starting position with the catching basket drawn into the hose-shaped functional part.
In a development of the invention, using two guide sleeves suitably guided one inside the other, a telescopic guidance of the second operating part on the fixing part is provided. In this way, the second operating part, and with it the hose-shaped functional part, can be moved axially back or forth in a functionally reliable manner relative to the fixing part, either with or without the first operating part and the wire-shaped functional part. In another embodiment, an elastic pretensioning element is provided, which acts in the axial direction between the fixing part and the second operating part, e.g. in the form of a corresponding helical spring. In this way, the hose-shaped functional part can be pretensioned with pressure or tension into a desired axial end position relative to the fixing part.
In a development of the invention, the fixing part has an attachment means for releasable mounting on an endoscope. This permits an advantageous use of the manually actuated functional hose instrument for endoscopic applications.
In a development of the invention, the first operating part is connected releasably to the wire-shaped functional part. It is thus possible, if need be, to release the first operating part from the wire-shaped functional part. This can be advantageous, for example in endoscopic applications, in order to be able to pull the first operating part, together with the second operating part and the hose-shaped functional part, proximally from the wire-shaped functional part.
The manually actuated functional hose instrument according to the invention advantageously has an operating device according to the invention for effecting the axial relative movement of hose-shaped functional part and wire-shaped functional part for the purpose of effecting the corresponding useful function. In particular, the instrument can be a stone-catching basket instrument, a wire filter instrument, a wire loop instrument or a collecting net instrument for endoscopic applications, as are known per se to a person skilled in the art. If so desired, the operating device can also be retrofitted on an otherwise conventional functional hose instrument.